If you're growing tomatoes, you've likely waited months for that first ripe, juicy taste. After months of weeding, watering and tending, they're finally here.

This year's tomato crop has arrived with a bang. That's great news for gardeners with a craving for BLTs and salsa. But it doesn't take long for a gardeners be overwhelmed by a surplus of tomatoes.Howard Sheckler of Lehighton is making the most of this year's tomato crop.He typically grows 20-24 plants, but cut back to just a dozen this year.He's already harvested well over 100 tomatoes, and is rapidly turning them into salsa, stewed tomatoes and this winter's meals."I make salsas, I make tomato soup. I make spaghetti sauce," he said.Sheckler prefers to can most of his tomato recipes, as freezing can change a recipe's texture and flavor - and also take up a great deal of freezer space."The tomatoes that I can will last me the whole year," he added. "I still have some jars in the basement from last year. Depending on what you want to concentrate on, would it be spaghetti sauce or salsa or stewed tomatoes, you make more of whichever you want when the tomatoes first ripen."He normally cans 50 pint jars per year of various things, including 5-10 hot salsas, 5-10 pineapple or peach salsas, a few jars of plain salsa and enough plain tomatoes to make mac and cheese from scratch.Sheckler began his plentiful tomato garden 25 years ago, when he first looked through a gardening catalog and was overwhelmed by the hundreds of varieties available.At the time, he stumbled upon a Japanese tomato called "Adorable," which was the size of a turkey egg and pink."They had an almost perfect look to them. No splits, no scabs. Just a perfect shape. I started looking for different types each year," he said. "Most people around here will grow your traditional types that are suitable for this area, like the Brandywines and Big Boys and Celebrities. I like the research, and I like to try something different every year. I've had some interesting ones."This year's varieties include Mr. Stripy, a large red-yellow combination tomato, and Green Envy, a grape tomato that stays green even when ripe."They are a wonderful-tasting tomato," he says.Brandon Everett of Lehighton is also having a great year for tomatoes. The Penn State agriculture services major has been busy making salsas and sauces, and also enjoys making kebabs with his plentiful cherry tomatoes."This time of year, I'll cut everything up and throw it all together. You've just got to use it up," he said. "It's been a great year for tomatoes. They seem to like the heat and humidity."Everett is growing several different varieties, including a chocolate cherry tomato and an American paste, plus the popular Brandywine tomato.As you prepare to start using up your own harvest, understanding the type of tomatoes you've gotten matters, he said. Plum and paste tomatoes are generally used for cooking and canning; their meaty, firm shape and fewer seeds make them ideal to work with.Beefsteaks, like the Brandywine or Mortgage Lifter, are best for slicing. Smaller slicing tomatoes, like Rutgers, have thicker walls that can stand up to stuffing, salsas and canning.Everett said that while nearly any tomato will work for a given recipe, choosing the right varieties can make your work easier.It takes the same amount of effort to skin and deseed a small beefsteak or cherry tomato as it does a large plum, but with less finished "meat" to show for it.Tomatoes also come in determinate or indeterminate varieties. Determinate plants tend to be fairly short, just 2-3 feet high, with most of the tomatoes ripening within a 2-3 week period. Indeterminate tomatoes will grow taller, as they are a type of vine. (Everett even uses one long string to hold his rows of tomato plants off the ground.) Indeterminate tomatoes will continue to set fruit and ripen until killed by frost.While Sheckler and Everett enjoy experimenting with different types of plants, they both prefer indeterminate varieties."You get enough, if you want to make sandwiches and other things all summer long," Sheckler said. "I give a lot of them away to my neighbors. I like to share them."Simple Garden SalsaBrandon Everett,Lehighton5 pounds of tomatoes, any variety; Everett prefers large beefsteak heirlooms and some halved/quartered cherry tomatoes1 bell pepper, any color, seeded2 jalapeños, seeded*1 red onion3 cloves of garlic1 small cucumber (optional)2 tablespoons of lime juice (optional)Aromatic herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro), to tasteSea salt and ground pepper, to tasteDice tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion and cucumber. Mince jalapeño, garlic and herbs. Mix the diced and minced vegetables/herbs in a large bowl and season with lime juice, sea salt and pepper. Add as many herbs and salt/pepper to your desired taste.For hotter salsa, use a mix of different hot peppers or increase the amount of jalapeños.Roasted TomatoesEileen East, Jim ThorpePreheat oven to 250 degrees.Toss tomato chunks or small whole tomatoes in olive oil, garlic and salt. Roast for 2-2½ hours or until they are cooked and dehydrated to your satisfaction.Once cooled, store tomatoes with their juices, oil and garlic in freezer bags until needed.Canned Stewed TomatoesHoward Sheckler, Lehighton24 large tomatoes, enough to make 4 quarts peeled and chopped*1 cup chopped onions¾cup chopped green peppers1 Tablespoon sugar2 teaspoons canning saltPrepare canning jars and heat water in pressure canner.Blanch and skin tomatoes and quarter them. Add the tomatoes, chopped onions, peppers, sugar and salt to a large stock pot and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning.Pour hot tomato mixture into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch of head space. Wipe the rims clean, remove air bubbles and place lids. Follow instructions for your pressure canner to process. Process 15 minutes for pints or 20 minutes for quarts.You'll need 4 quarts of chopped, cored tomatoes. This cooks down a bit and you should end up with around 3 quarts stewed tomatoes or 7 pints when you are finished.Macaroni and Cheese CasseroleHoward Sheckler,Lehighton4 tablespoons butter, plus more for casserole dish3 cups milk¼cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water½teaspoon dried basil¼teaspoon black pepper4½cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese1 pint stewed tomatoes1 pound elbow macaroniPreheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole and set aside.Cook macaroni 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. Drain macaroni in a colander, rinse under cold running water, and set aside.In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat milk. In the same pot you used for boiling the pasta, melt butter over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, basil, black pepper and 3 cups of the cheese. Stir the macaroni and stewed tomatoes into the cheese sauce.Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1½ cups cheddar cheese over top. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.Tomato SoupHoward and Elaine Sheckler, Lehighton1 peck tomatoes (roughly 10 pounds), cored and quartered1 bunch celery, chopped6 onions, chopped, about 3 cups1 bunch parsley2 green peppers, chopped1 cup sugar½cup butter¼cup salt½cup flourCook tomatoes, celery, onions, parsley, and peppers until tender. Put mixture through sieve and discard skins and seeds. Add sugar and salt. Make a paste of butter and flour thinned with some of the tomato soup and add gradually to the hot soup mixture.4 cups of warmed milk may be added to the simmering soup for cream of tomato soup.